Odyssey of the Mind · 2003. 6. 24. · Bette Nesmith Graham. Artist-turned-secretary thinks outside the box At age 17, Bette Nesmith Graham was a single mother working as a freelance

It’s hard to believe, but it’s that timeagain -- World Finals is just aroundthe corner. And, after 10 years,

Odyssey of the Mind is returning to theUniversity of Colorado at Boulder forthe big event. CU- Boulder also hostedWorld Finals in 1989. With two years ofpast experience, CU is sure to provideanother memorable event, filled withfun, friends and creativity!

Founded in1876, CU-Boulder isrecognized as oneof the most excep-tional and attractiveuniversities in theUnited States. Oncampus, 200 classicItalian-style buildings and complexesare nestled at a 5,400-foot altitudeagainst the eastern slope of the RockyMountains. Thomas Gaines, author ofThe Campus as a Work of Art , notedCU-Boulder as having "the best cam-pus of any public institution in the coun-try, based on criteria such as land-scape, urban space, architectural quali-ty and overall appeal."

Besides aesthetics, CU is noted forits academics. The university offersmore than 3,400 courses of study inmore than 175 different fields. CU's fac-ulty members are prominent in theirteaching and research. In fact, inOctober 2001, CU professors CarlWieman and Eric Cornell earned theNobel Prize in Physics for their creationof a new state of matter just above

absolute zero.When it comes to things to do

between competitions, Odyssey partici-pants will never be at a loss. On cam-pus, you can visit the Museum ofNatural History, the Fiske Planetarium,and the CU Art Galleries. There’s alsoUniversity Memorial Center, a hub ofrestaurants, stores and other venues.

If you want to venture off campus,Pearl Street Mall isjust a short walk.Located in the cen-ter of downtownBoulder, it is a four-block stretch ofopen- air stores andrestaurants, com-

plete with sidewalk performers. Boulder is known to be a mecca for

fitness enthusiasts. Many marathonrunners come here to train, as do bicy-cling competitors. Because of the thinair of the high altitude and the chal-lenge of uphill travel, athletes know thatif they can achieve their “personal best”here, they’re bound to do the sameelsewhere. In fact, Boulder hosts one ofthe largest 10k races every MemorialDay. The “Bolder Boulder” attracts world-class runners and is an exhila-rating -- butchallenging -- experience. (Take it fromthis editor, who’s run it a couple of times.)If running six miles seems too overwhelm-ing, participate by walking the course. Or,you can go white-water rafting on theColorado River. Whatever you choose, besure to take time to enjoy the breathtaking

Volume 24 Winter 2002 Number 2

Hope to “CU” in Boulder forWorld Finals ‘02

Also In This Issue . ..2 Great Minds

2 More FundraisingIdeas

3 Family Album3 Official Odyssey Tee

3 Product Order Form

T h a n k s , N A S A !

Odyssey participants oftenask, “How is the NASAsponsorship benefitting

us?” The answer? In many ways.Here are just a few items NASAhas provided over the past programyear:l A Web site especially for our par-

ticipants to help develop solutionsto OMER’s Earthly Adventures,and to learn more about our envi-ronment.

l Curriculum activities for our mem-bers in an effort to integrate cre-ative problem-solving into theregular classroom.

l Expert consultants for OMER’sEarthly Adventures, lendinginsight and expertise to solvingenvironmental concerns. They have also represented

Odyssey at conferences to spreadthe word about us. NASA truly

Odyssey of the Mind®

Have you ever filled out a form incorrectly with noway to correct it? Or typed a paper and, justbefore handing it in, realize there’s an extra word

that doesn't belong? Even with today’s technology, mis-takes aren’t always easy to correct without having tocross out words, leaving an unsightly mess. Luckily,there is now a white liquid that can make words disap-pear, leaving documents looking neat and clean. Thereis one woman to thank for this convenient invention:Bette Nesmith Graham.

Artist-turned-secretary thinks outside the box

At age 17, Bette Nesmith Graham was a singlemother working as a freelance artist. Unfortunately, hercareer didn't pay enough to support herself and her son(Michael, who became an artist in his own right as amember of the group The Monkees), so in 1951 shelearned typing and shorthand, and took a job as a sec-retary.

Erasing mistakes from the carbon ribbon typewritersused at the time made a sloppy mess, and Graham knewthere had to be a better way. She thought to try the sametechnique artists use to correct mistakes: she paintedover them. She carried her water-based paints and apaintbrush to work with her and painted over her errors,making sure the paint matched the color of the paper shewas using. Her boss never noticed the mistakes.

“Mistake Out” catches on

One day, a co-worker asked Graham for some ofher correcting fluid, so she brought in a bottle from homeand labeled it "Mistake Out." Soon, everyone in the officewas asking for it. In 1956, Graham turned her kitcheninto a laboratory, where she bottled Mistake Out, and ulti-mately received the patent for it (later it was renamedLiquid Paper).

The company quickly grew and by 1975 was pro-ducing 25 million bottles that wereshipped to 31 countries. In 1979,Graham sold the company to Gillette for$45.7 million.

Thanks to a freelance painter whoused traditional items in a non-tradition-al way, papers and other documents cannow be neat and error free!

Sources:

Odyssey of the Mind NewsletterWinter 2002 Page 2

More Fundraising Ideas

In our Winter 2000 issue we listed some fundraisingideas for Odyssey teams. Here are more ideas, cour-tesy of New Jersey Odyssey of the Mind (CUinNJ):

l Present a Night of Champions. Charge admissionand have teams perform their solutions for school-mates, parents, teachers and other members of thecommunity.

l Host a Spontaneous Day , where students, parents,teachers and anyone else can participate in solvingspontaneous problems. Charge per team or per par-ticipant.

l Play Musical Chairs. Arrange the maximum numberof chairs on a football field or in a gym. Charge $5 perchair and sell to one more person than you havechairs to support. Play the music, stop, and eliminateone person and chair. The last ten people win itemsdonated by supporters.

l Hold a Games Night. Set up games such asScrabble, Trivial Pursuit and Monopoly, and ask fordonations of $2-$5 from players. Give trophies, rib -bons, or other prizes to winners.

l Sponsor a Road Rally. Have participants follow aprescribed course with cryptic questions and direc-tions. Charge $5 per person or $20 per car. Thismakes for a great parent/child activity!

l Sponsor a Car-Wash-A-Thon. Advertise a “free carwash” in local newspapers, send home flyers withschool children, hang up posters, etc. A few weeksbefore the actual event, have children find “sponsors”who support their willingness to wash as many carsas they can,donating a fee for each car washed. For example, ifa child washes 20 cars and gets 20 sponsors to paya dollar for each car washed, the child gets $20 percar for a total of $400. Post signs the day of the eventwith directions to the location. (Remember to removethe signs after the event!)

l Hold an auction. Ask for donations or bid for servic-es that your team members can perform.

l Develop a team shirt or a local pin to sell to the gen-eral public. [email protected] for help in hav-ing pins made.

l Remember to sell refreshments at all organizedevents!

Keep in mind that success is often in the planning.Think of every detail that needs to be covered and coverit . . . and don’t forget that safety comes first.

Odyssey of the Mind NewsletterWinter 2002 Page 3

To submit payment:l Complete this form and mail to CCI, 1325 Rte 130 S, Suite F,

Gloucester City, NJ 08030, along with a check, money orderor p.o., payable to CCI, or with your credit card information.

l If paying by p.o., you may FAX your order to 856.456.7008.l If paying by credit card, you may FAX your order, order by

phone: 856.456.7776, or e-mail [email protected].

___VISA ___MasterCard ___American Express ___Discover

Acct. no. _______________________________ Exp. ________

Name ___________________________________________

Address __________________________________________

_________________________________________________

City ___________________________ State/Prov _________

Zip __________________________ Country ____________

Daytime Phone______________ E-mail _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

SHIPPING ADDRESS (For UPS Delivery)

ODYSSEY OF THE MIND PRODUCT ORDER FORM

P U B L I C A T I O N S_____ *Applying Your Creativity @ $18 Discusses different types of human creativity............................................ __________

_____ *Creativity + Teamwork = Solutions! @ $18 Includes tips on building effective teams ................................. __________

_____ *Odysseymania! @ $17 Includes a chapter on humor and creativity ............................................................. __________

_____ *Make Learning Fun @ $17 Provides a history of the program ..................................................................... __________

_____ **Spontaneous Problem Competitions @ $7.50 Booklet of spontaneous problems w/coaching & judging tips _________

V I D E O S_____ Odyssey of the Mind 2001 World Finals Video Yearbook @ $20 Highlights of the event................................. __________

_____ Coaches Training Video @ $18 Tips & techniques for coaches ....................................................................... __________

C L O T H I N G_____ **Ash tee State quantity of each size S ___ M ___ L ___ XL ___ @ $15 XXL ___ @ $16.50 ............................. __________

_____ **Orange tee State quantity of each size S ___ M ___ L ___ XL ___ @ $15 XXL ___ @ $16.50 ................... __________

S U P P O R T M A T E R I A L S_____ **packs of Balsa Wood (premium grade AAA 36" x 1/8" x 1/8") @ $20 100 pieces (includes S & H).............. __________

Subtotal _______________

Shipping & Handling _______________

Total _______________

*These books are a collection of long-term and spontaneous problems. Shipping & handling within the U.S. is $3.50 for the first item, $1 for each additional

item. Orders outside of the U.S. will be charged additional shipping.**There are no shipping & handling charges for these items within the U.S.

w On January 18, Lycoming County commissionershonored Odyssey Coach Joy A. Walls, PA, for out-standing service in her job and community. Joy, a gift-ed ed teacher in the Loyalsock Township SchoolDistrict, was named volunteer of the year for organiz-ing and running Odyssey of the Mind there. In 11years, 775 students and 220 parent volunteers partic-ipated in the program, earning eight state champi-onships and two world titles.

w Congratulations to Adam Rusilowski, Poland. He isnow a professor at the Institute of Education,University of Gdansk, heading the World Drama inEducation postgraduate program.

Odyssey of the Mind

Family Album

GET YOUR OFFICIALODYSSEY TEE FOR 2002!

This year’s official tee has Odyssey of the Mind on thefront with a wave design on both front and back. It comesin two color schemes: ash with a red, white and blue designor Mandarin Orange with a blue design. Available in adultsize small, medium, large, extra large and extra, extra large(add $1.50 to cost for each XXL ordered). (Order below.)

back detail

Long-Term Problem ClarificationsCurrent as of January 25, 2002. Check www.odysseyofthemind.com regularly for updates.

The Odyssey of the Mind Newsletter is published by Creative Competitions, Inc. Editor: Carol Ann DeSimine. Assistant: Kristy

® Odyssey of the Mind, the Odyssey of the Mind logo, and OMER are federally registered trademarks of Creative Competitions, Inc.

Prsrt stdU.S. Postage Paid

Bellmawr, NJPermit No. 58

PROBLEM NO. 3: CENTER STAGE

1. Teams must provide protective floor covering such asplywood for performances that include a dance suchas tap dancing that may damage the floor. If a teamcomes unprepared and the judges feel that floor dam-age may occur, then the judging team may prohibit theteam from performing the dance. Teams should con-tact the Tournament Director for site specifics regard-ing floor surfaces.

2. Humor is not required in the problem solution.

3. A stage set consists of background items that repre-sent a time, place or concept and props that enhancethe set. It is the subjective opinion of the judges as towhether or not the team has altered or substitutedthese items enough to provide two different settings.Teams must inform the Staging Area Judge when the

PROBLEM NO. 4: IT’S A SNAP!1. Balsa wood that is used to interlock

components must either be (a) part of acomponent or (b) a component in andof itself, meeting the requirements of a

PROBLEM NO. 5: THE OSTRICH FACTOR

1. Although the team may have more than oneway to “hide” the OFC’s head, only one will bescored in D,5. This is the one shown on the list

PROBLEM NO. 1: THE CHAMELEON1. The Environment Area will be a minimum of 7-

feet deep.

2. The audience will be seated to the left asshown in Figure A. Judges will position them-selves to see the team’s presentation asneeded.

Problem No. 2: OMER’SEARTHLY ADVENTURES

1. Some printed versions of the problem show DivisionV. This should be Division IV.

2. The team-created task may not be anythingfrom either list A or B, but must be truly a TEAM-

Hey Teams!Good luck at your Regional Tournament

and your Association Finals!

OMER

c/o Creative Competitions, Inc.1325 Rte 130 S l Suite F l Gloucester City, NJ 08030

www.odysseyofthemind.com